Time flies, slipping away unnoticed, like a fleeting white horse.
In the blink of an eye, the golden heat of August has passed, and Capital City, a bustling metropolis of 30 million people, has welcomed the fragrant September filled with osmanthus blossoms. The scorching summer has faded, giving way to a refreshing autumn chill, ushering in the best time of the year.
At the Blue Sky Creative Park, in the Nirvana Workshop.
In the recording studio, Workshop Manager Wang Changsheng, Music Director Wang Jing, Sound Engineer Wang Hui, and three other members of Nirvana Workshop gathered, their eyes fixed on Lu Chen with a mix of nervousness and anticipation.
Wang Changsheng's forehead glistened with beads of sweat, his expression somewhat lost, and his right hand trembled slightly.
Wang Jing's eyes sparkled with intensity, but the way she bit her lip revealed her inner tension.
Wang Hui was the most overwhelmed, his entire body shaking. He pressed his clenched fist against his mouth several times as if trying to stifle a shout of excitement.
However, Lu Chen was oblivious to their anxiety. He wore a large pair of monitoring headphones, immersed in his own voice.
"Whenever I can't find the meaning of existence, whenever I'm lost in the dark night."
"Oh~ the brightest star in the night sky, please light my way~"
As the final notes faded, the echoes lingered in the air, igniting a burning passion in his heart!
After a long moment, Lu Chen exhaled deeply and opened his eyes.
Under the anxious and expectant gazes of everyone, he removed his headphones and nodded, saying, "It's done."
"Yes!"
Those three simple words ignited a wave of joy in the recording studio. Wang Hui was the first to shout, followed by the three members of the Nirvana Band, who clapped enthusiastically.
Wang Changsheng smiled with relief, and even the usually composed Wang Jing beamed like a spring flower.
They had every reason to celebrate!
This was Lu Chen's first album produced at Nirvana Workshop, and it was the biggest and most significant project the workshop had ever undertaken since its inception. After two full months of hard work, it was finally complete.
While there had been challenges in composing, arranging, recording, and post-production, and it wasn't the most polished work, everyone had poured their heart and soul into it.
The album featured ten songs. While it couldn't be called flawless, it certainly deserved to be recognized as a sincere and high-quality piece of art.
Lu Chen was genuinely satisfied.
Spending 100,000 Yuan to achieve such results had far exceeded his expectations. Although the compositions were a bit immature and the arrangements not perfectly refined, for this album, 'My Old Classmate', it was more than enough.
These slight imperfections didn't detract from the overall style and essence of the work. In fact, they captured the spirit of campus folk songs beautifully.
He sincerely said, "Thank you!"
Lu Chen first extended his hand to Wang Changsheng. The workshop manager had been tirelessly ensuring that the production team could work without a hitch. Even if he didn't have major achievements, his efforts were invaluable.
Next, he turned to Wang Hui.
His role had been the most demanding, as he had essentially managed both the recording and post-production on his own, often working late into the night.
Then there was Wang Jing.
All the compositions were her creations. This graduate of Capital Music Academy had a keen understanding of the album's style, and whenever issues arose, she tirelessly revised and adjusted, even starting over several times with utmost dedication.
Finally, he acknowledged the three band members, who had also put in significant effort.
Even though they were primarily doing it for themselves and the workshop, Lu Chen was still grateful.
Having been involved in the album's production process, Lu Chen was acutely aware of everyone's contributions and hard work!
So he wanted to shake hands with everyone at Nirvana Workshop one by one to express his gratitude.
What followed was straightforward. According to the contract, Lu Xi, who had accompanied Lu Chen, paid the remaining production fee to Nirvana Workshop and received the master disc and high-quality audio files of the album.
The album 'My Old Classmate' consisted of ten songs. In addition to the title track, there were 'Dust in the Wind', 'My Brother Sleeping Above Me', 'Cinderella', 'Golden Time of Youth', 'Beauty', 'Those Flowers', 'Ballad of Time', and 'Outdoor Cinema', all forming a cohesive campus folk style.
For the final song, Lu Chen had initially planned to use 'The Way You Are' as a grand finale and an Easter egg. However, considering the impact of 'Singing China' and the overall style, he ultimately chose 'The Brightest Star in the Night Sky'.
As for 'The Way You Are' and 'Follow the Dream of the Red Heart', they would be saved for the next album.
When you think about it, this lineup was quite impressive. All ten songs were high-quality works, with enough highlights in both melody and lyrics and a true classic at its core.
For his debut album, Lu Chen was determined not to cut corners!
However, the album's title had given him pause. From a promotional standpoint, 'The Brightest Star in the Night Sky' was undoubtedly the most fitting, but it didn't quite align with the theme of campus folk songs.
After careful consideration, Lu Chen ultimately chose 'My Old Classmate'.
His workshop had already been negotiated with WeChat Music. Lu Chen's debut album would be exclusively released and sold on the WeChat Music platform, and they were just waiting for these audio files.
WeChat Music was the largest music streaming service in the country, boasting a market share of over 50%. Typically, it would be very challenging for a newcomer and independent artist like Lu Chen to secure promotional and distribution opportunities on their platform.
However, due to the success of the live versions of the songs Lu Chen performed on 'Singing China', which garnered countless downloads and rave reviews on WeChat Music, the platform was eager to collaborate.
While WeChat Music had its own set of rules, both overt and covert, and its homepage charts were subject to manipulation, they couldn't overlook a rising singer-songwriter with immense market potential. Thus, they were willing to offer some benefits in exchange.
This relatively equal footing was hard-earned and a testament to Lu Chen's talent.
Otherwise, he could have easily turned to WeChat Music's competitors, such as NetEase Music or Pop Radio. Given the quality and popularity of his work, the sales performance wouldn't have been too shabby.
WeChat Music didn't want to give their competitors an easy win, even if the latter's market share was smaller.
According to Lu Chen's plan, after the album went live on WeChat Music, the collaboration with Flying Stone Records would also commence.
WeChat + Flying Stone essentially formed a complete sales channel for the album, referred to as "Double Fly."
However, there was still a significant issue that needed to be resolved, so they had to prioritize the WeChat channel first.
"Xiao Chen!" The call from his side startled Lu Chen back to reality.
Lu Xi curiously asked, "What's wrong?"
Lu Chen had been lost in thought about the distribution channels and quickly replied, "It's nothing."
He then turned to Wang Changsheng and said, "Manager Wang, I've already reserved a table at the Jinghua Great Restaurant for dinner tonight. Let's all go together!"
Lu Chen had a good impression of Nirvana Workshop's diligent work ethic and was eager to continue collaborating in the future, so he wanted to strengthen their relationship.
Lu Xi had mentioned that if the timing was right, they could consider acquiring Nirvana Workshop to expand their own business.
However, Lu Chen was not inclined to support his sister's idea for now, as he could see how deeply Wang Changsheng and his team cared for the workshop and the effort they had invested in it.
Unless they brought it up themselves, he wouldn't consider acquiring Nirvana Workshop.
Lu Chen was confident that when the time came for his workshop to expand, building a new studio wouldn't be a problem.
He didn't want to be that shrewd businessman who calculated every profit and loss.
"That's great! Thank you, Brother Lu!"
Wang Hui immediately expressed his enthusiastic support, grinning as he said, "I've been eating takeout every day; I'm about to throw up! I want a feast, I want a roast duck, braised pork ribs, sweet and sour fish!"
Wang Jing smacked him on the back of the head, glaring at him— couldn't he be a little less embarrassing?
Wang Hui looked aggrieved.
Lu Chen chuckled.
Wang Hui was a very straightforward techie, without any complicated thoughts, and he spoke his mind once he felt comfortable with others.
In contrast, his sister Wang Jing was more detail-oriented.
Wang Changsheng quickly said, "Mr. Lu, let me treat you to dinner tonight."
It felt too awkward for Nirvana Workshop to have Lu Chen pay for the meal after earning money from him!
Lu Chen smiled and replied, "Manager Wang, don't be polite. Everyone has worked really hard; I must treat you!"
With Lu Chen's insistence, he ended up paying for the dinner.
They all left the workshop together.
The Jinghua Great Restaurant was just a ten-minute walk from the Blue Sky Creative Park.
Lu Chen had booked a large private room on the second floor of the restaurant.
Once seated, Lu Chen handed the menu to Wang Hui, smiling, "You order; get whatever you like. Don't hold back. You're the one who made this album successful!"
Wang Hui eagerly took the menu, saying, "Brother Lu, I can be polite with others, but not with you. You're a rich man now, making over a million in the talent show! My sister admires you so much!"
Wang Jing blushed and scolded, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
Wang Hui stuck out his tongue and quickly ordered.
After they finished ordering, the food and drinks were served promptly.
Lu Chen poured himself a full glass of beer and raised his glass, smiling, "I'd like to toast everyone first. Thank you all for your hard work in helping me complete this outstanding album. Thank you!"
He downed his drink in one go, and Wang Hui and the others immediately applauded and cheered.
Except for Wang Changsheng, everyone else was around the same age, and they all loved music, so there were plenty of common topics to discuss, making the atmosphere lively.
Halfway through the meal, Lu Chen's phone rang.
He took it out and saw the caller ID, which made his eyes light up!—
(End of Chapter)
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